Marathon Finishers by Age Group

The question

How to approach this bar chart question

A bar chart compares categories or shows change between points in time. Write an overview of the biggest differences, then compare the highest, lowest and any surprise.

1. Name the chart, the units and the time or places it covers in one sentence (paraphrase the question).
2. Write an overview: the largest and smallest categories, or the main change over time.
3. Group the bars into two body paragraphs by similarity, not one by one.
4. Quote the key numbers only, with units, and compare them.

How to plan this answer

Structure

1. Introduction: paraphrase the bar chart, which shows the number of marathon finishers in each of four age groups in Country A in 2015 and 2025, in thousands.
2. Overview: the 30-44 group remains the largest, the 60 and over group grows the fastest, and the under-30 group falls to third place.
3. Body paragraph 1: the under-30 and 30-44 groups, with the fall for the younger group and the modest rise for 30-44.
4. Body paragraph 2: the 45-59 and 60-and-over groups, with the 45-59 group moving into second place and the older group more than doubling.

Key features to spot

• The 60 and over group more than doubles, from 4.3 thousand to 9.4 thousand, the largest proportional rise of the four groups.
• The 45-59 group rises by 4.6 thousand, from 15.1 to 19.7 thousand, and moves into second place in 2025.
• The under-30 group falls by 3.6 thousand, from 18.2 to 14.6 thousand, dropping from second place to third.
• The 30-44 group rises by only 1.3 thousand, from 24.5 to 25.8 thousand, and stays the largest group in both years.
• The total number of finishers rises from about 62.1 thousand to 69.5 thousand, an increase of about 12%.

Useful vocabulary

• finishers: The number of finishers in the 30-44 group rose slightly.
• thousand finishers: There were 25.8 thousand finishers in the 30-44 group in 2025.
• more than doubled: The number of finishers aged 60 and over more than doubled.
• the largest group: The 30-44 group was the largest group in both years.
• overtook: The 45-59 group overtook the under-30 group in 2025.
• fell by: The under-30 group fell by 3.6 thousand.
• a modest rise: The 30-44 group saw a modest rise.
• the older age groups: Most of the growth came from the older age groups.

Common mistakes

• Describing the 30-44 group as the fastest-growing group, when it has the smallest rise.
• Ignoring the change in totals (62.1 to 69.5 thousand), so the group comparisons have no overall context.
• Describing the 60 and over rise as 'increased by 5 per cent', when it is 5.1 thousand, more than double the starting figure.
• Missing that the 45-59 group overtakes the under-30 group for second place.
• Speculating on why older adults are running more, which the prompt rules out.

Examiner tip: Rank the groups in each year, note which groups move up or down, and use the doubling of the oldest group as the main contrast. Finish with the total change.